Winch slide-out trailer undercarriage

Abstract

A winch assembly for moving a first fifth wheel outwardly from a first trailer and engaging a king pin on a second trailer. The winch assembly includes a pair of parallel, spaced apart rails mounted on the underside of the first trailer. A slide out frame is mounted between the rails and attached to a front axle and a real axle, with wheels. The slide out frame includes the first fifth wheel adapted for engaging the king pin on the front of a second trailer. The first fifth wheel is attached to a pair of first cables on winch drums, driven by winch motors. The winch motors are used for rotating cable drums for retracting the first fifth wheel along a length of the trailer. Also, a pair of second cables on winch drums, driven by winch motors, are attached to the slide out frame. The second cables are used to extend the first fifth wheel outwardly from the rear of the first trailer for engaging the fifth wheel to the second trailer.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A winch assembly mounted on a first trailer pulled by a highway tractor and adapted for attaching a rear of the first trailer to a front of a second trailer, the winch assembly comprising:
 a pair of parallel rails mounted on a rear of an underside of the first trailer; 
 a front axle, with front wheels, mounted on the rails; 
 a rear axle, with rear wheels, mounted on the rails; 
 a first slide-out frame mounted between the parallel rails; 
 a pair of first winch cables mounted on first cable drums with winch motors, the first cable drums attached to a front portion of the parallel rails; 
 a pair of second winch cables mounted on second cable drums with winch motors, the second cable drums attached to a rear portion of the first trailer; 
 a trailer first fifth wheel mounted on the first slide-out frame and attached to the pair of first winch cables and attached to the pair of second winch cables, the trailer first fifth wheel adapted for engaging a king pin on the front of a second trailer; and 
 whereby the first winch cables used for retracting the trailer first fifth wheel and front and rear axles with tires under the underside of the first trailer, the second winch cables used for extending the trailer first fifth wheel and rear axles with tires outwardly from a rear of the first trailer for engaging a king pin on the second trailer. 
 
     
     
       2. The winch assembly as described in  claim 1  further including a servo mounted on the winch motors for controlling the movement of the trailer first fifth wheel. 
     
     
       3. The trailer undercarriage as described in  claim 2  further including a potentiometer attached to the servo and the winch motors for measuring the movement of the trailer first fifth wheel. 
     
     
       4. The trailer undercarriage as described in  claim 2  further including a weight sensor connected to the winch motors for measuring the weight load on the first trailer. 
     
     
       5. A winch assembly mounted on a second trailer pulled by a first trailer and a highway tractor and adapted for attaching a rear of the second trailer to a front of a third trailer, the winch assembly comprising:
 a pair of parallel rails mounted on a rear of an underside of the second trailer; 
 a front axle, with front wheels, mounted on the rails; 
 a rear axle, with rear wheels, mounted on the rails; 
 a second slide-out frame mounted between the parallel rails; 
 a pair of first winch cables mounted on first cable drums with winch motors, the first cable drums attached to a front portion of the parallel rails; 
 a pair of second winch cables mounted on second cable drums with winch motors, the second cable drums attached to a rear portion of the first trailer; 
 a trailer second fifth wheel mounted on the second slide-out frame and attached to the pair of first winch cables and attached to the pair of second winch cables, the trailer second fifth wheel adapted for engaging a king pin on the front of a third trailer; and 
 whereby the first winch cables used for retracting the trailer second fifth wheel and front and rear axles with tires under the underside of the second trailer, the second winch cables used for extending the trailer second fifth wheel and rear axles with tires outwardly from a rear of the second trailer for engaging the king pin on the third trailer. 
 
     
     
       6. The winch assembly as described in  claim 5  further including a servo mounted on the winch motors for controlling the movement of the trailer first fifth wheel. 
     
     
       7. The trailer undercarriage as described in  claim 6  further including a potentiometer attached to the servo and the winch motors for measuring the movement of the trailer first fifth wheel. 
     
     
       8. The trailer undercarriage as described in  claim 6  further including a weight sensor connected to the winch motors for measuring the weight load on the first trailer.